Читать книгу Hardhearted: It's Better to Be Feared than Loved - Sherrod Tunstall - Страница 8

Previously on Beating the Odds

Paco, his boys, Brad, Swag, Tyler, and Travis, were in the private prison dining area, enjoying the perks of being in Paco’s crew. They were having a good meal of fried chicken wings, collard greens, T-bone steaks, fried rice, baked potatoes, cupcakes from Diamond’s Bakery, and all of the beer they wanted.

As the fellas were eating like kings, they noticed Brad slowly licking a chocolate cupcake with pink frosting and sprinkles. Brad knew that those delicious cupcakes were from the bakery where Diamond worked, or in Brad’s mind, where she was forced to work. He imagined Diamond’s beautifully manicured hands making cupcakes and mixing up the batter. In his mind, he was having a freaky vision of her in a Victoria’s Secret bra and panty set. Her body was shaped like model Chanel Iman with a Nicki Minaj booty. He could picture her working in a hot, steamy kitchen with sweat dripping all down her sexy body as she was taking cupcakes out of the hot oven. He could imagine watching her frost every cupcake. Brad pretended that his fingers were hers as he licked them passionately.

The fellas were laughing at him because they knew what was wrong with Brad. Being in prison for weeks without any women around was hard on any man, and they jacked off at night. But Brad had gone too far, and he was looking like a desperate fool. Tyler threw a chicken wing at him, knocking him out of his daydream. He looked over at his boys, who were laughing up a storm.

“Damn, playa,” Swag said, laughing.

“He workin’ ’em fingers,” said Paco. “Who’s clit you imaginin’ you eatin’ out?”

They continued to laugh, and Brad gave them all the finger.

As they continued eating like kings, Paco cleared his throat. His crew knew when he did that, it was time to get down to business.

“Well, everyone, I have some bad news and good news,” Paco said.

Everyone was silent.

“The bad news is we ain’t getting out of here because my father only wanted me released, but I said, hell naw. I’m loyal to the damn end. So, I’m officially cut off from the Hernandez Cartel.”

The fellas didn’t say a word. They were stunned that their boy had risked his freedom, wealth, and family to be in a shit hole with them. To them, that was true friendship.

“The good news is I’ve been making contacts, and I’m now hooked up with a very powerful Costa Rican mob boss. We been talking business for years, and I’m thinking of joining that squad. The plan is to bring my father’s piece-of-shit organization down and make the streets of Houston and Mexico mine, with you all as equal partners.”

All the fellas clapped, including Swag, Tyler, and Travis, who really didn’t give a shit about anything anymore except getting the hell out of Brazil by any means necessary. Brad felt the same way, but he had to find out what was up with Diamond.

“Shh!” Paco said. “Calm that shit down ’fore y’all wake up the whole damn prison.”

The fellas silenced themselves again.

“But, Paco, if they gon’ make us full partners, how we gon’ do it from in here and they in Costa Rica?” Brad asked.

“Homies, if you just shut the hell up, I can tell you the rest of the story,” Paco said sarcastically.

“Yeah, I know this cat in Costa Rica, and the boss is going to take real good care of us. We all gon’ make more money than we ever dreamed of. We can kick it in Costa Rica for a few years until I can build my own dynasty and bring my father’s down. Then, Houston can be ours for the taking.”

Swag, Tyler, Travis, and Paco’s boys were saying, “Hell yeah! Anything to get out of this hellhole.”

Brad couldn’t believe how his cousin and his boys were acting. He was greatly disappointed. They kept making the same mistake over and over again. And even though Brad had agreed to go along with the plan, he didn’t want to. There was nothing to be happy about. He just wanted out, and he didn’t give a damn about running the streets with men like Paco. And shame on the others for wanting to be down with him.

“Yo, B, you wit’ us or what, bro?” Paco asked.

Brad pretended as if he didn’t hear him. “What you say, man?”

“You down wit’ us or what?” Paco smiled.

“Yeah, I’m down for whatever.”

“Cool, gentlemen. In a few short days, we will be free and very rich men.” Paco raised his cup. “To the future.”

“To the future,” everyone toasted, raising their cups.

Goodbye, fellas, Brad thought while taking a sip of his drink. I’m so glad this is almost over.

* * *

In prison that night, Paco held a little party for all of the inmates in the cell with jerk chicken, barbeque ribs, corn on the cob, white rice, and cake. No one, not even the faculty at the prison, questioned Paco about having the party. Since he was an ex-member of the Hernandez Cartel, he still had money everywhere, and with money, people always respected him. He had the power, no doubt. All of the prisoners ate like they never had food before. Hell, they hadn’t had good food like that in a minute. One prisoner said, “This feast is even better than sex and Christmas combined.”

All of the inmates laughed.

Paco watched as everyone was enjoying the food. Eat up, ’cause it will be your last meal.

As everyone was enjoying their meal, the officer brought a big orange water dispenser, which contained red Kool-Aid. Each prisoner grabbed a cup, but Paco warned his crew, Brad, Swag, Tyler, and Travis, not to drink it unless they wanted to meet their maker sooner than later. Paco proposed a toast to life and blessings, but in his mind, the real toast he wanted to say was, Fuck you all and good luck in hell.

All the prisoners ate and drank until it got quiet . . . and quieter. The cell went to a deathful silence. Brad and the fellas were scared shitless. Brad looked over and saw his boy Stan, who was now dead to the world. His eyes were wide open and without a blink.

Good luck in the afterlife, my friend. He tried to hold in his tears. Brad knew that he did wrong by his friend, abandoned Stan when he needed Brad the most. He knew he had to reap it later, but for now, all he wanted to do was get the hell out of prison, check up on Diamond, and get out of Brazil with her by his side.

There was a clicking sound, and then the cell door opened.

“Come on,” Paco said.

Everyone followed his lead out of the cell. Brad stopped one moment to look back at Stan. “Deuces, my friend,” he said in a whisper.

When he was heading out to meet his boys, out of nowhere, someone jumped on Brad’s back, pulling him down. The crew pivoted to see what was going on. They saw that it was Brad and Stan, fighting after they thought everyone in the cell was dead.

“You ain’t going no-damn-where,” Stan hissed like a demon. “You gon’ stay in here with me and be the new bitch!”

“Get off me,” Brad said, pushing him back and then putting him into a headlock. Stan was no longer the nice, funny guy Brad used to work and hang out with anymore. Stan had turned into a wild beast thirsty for blood, but Brad couldn’t blame him. Brad had sacrificed his friend to the wolves, seeing and hearing his friend being beaten, raped, and the Nigerian warlords selling him for cigarettes or soap. That would make anyone go crazy.

“All I can say is I’m sorry,” Brad said in a low voice while trying to calm Stan.

“Fuck you and your ‘sorry.’ I’ma—”

The sound of firecrackers went off. Brad was in a state of shock as blood splattered all over him from his friend’s brains being blown out. Stan’s lifeless body fell to the ground, and when Brad looked up, he saw the person who shot him. It was one of the officers that worked for Paco.

“Move it, fat ass, and catch up with your friends if you want your freedom. I’ll take care of this piece of shit. Go!”

Brad stepped over Stan’s body and hurried to make his way to his crew so they could get the hell out of prison.

Once the guys were outside, one of the other guards had a black van waiting for them. Brad smelled the air. It was so sweet. Now that he breathed the sweet victory of freedom, he thought about how he was going to get away from everyone. He didn’t know his way around, and even if he got to the airport again, how would he be able to board one of those planes and get the hell out of there? He was sure that Diamond could help him, and he could help her too. She appeared to be a trustworthy person, and there weren’t too many other people that Brad trusted right now.

As the van drove off, they all lifted their hands, waving goodbye.

* * *

While the van drove down the streets of downtown Rio, the fellas, Paco, and his crew were shouting, laughing, and drinking beer while saying, “Thank God. Free at last.” “Costa Rica, here we come.” That was, except for Brad, who was looking out the window and smelling the fresh night air. He glanced at all of the buildings and at the ocean that reflected the moon in the night waters. The scent reminded him of his arrival in Brazil, but then the flashbacks of his best friend shot in the head came back to haunt him. It wasn’t the first time Brad had seen someone killed, but that was his boy. He soon snapped out of the flashback and gazed at his friends and cousin, not knowing who they were anymore. Paco had really filled their heads up with bullshit, and Brad refused to be one of Paco’s puppets. He took a deep breath as he was preparing to make one of the biggest decisions of his life.

“Midnight, pull over,” Brad said in a soft tone.

Everyone shifted their heads to look at him.

“Bruh, what did you just say?” Swag said, frowning. “We gotta get outta here ASAP.”

Brad ignored Swag. To him, Swag was a perfect stranger instead of the cousin who’d had his back growing up. All Brad had now was himself.

“Midnight, let me out now!” This time, he put a little more bass in his voice.

Paco sighed and shook his head. “You stupid fool. I figured you would change your mind, but go ahead and be an idiot. You won’t get far. You’ll be killed by morning. I’m not going to stop you from getting out, and with one down, there will be more freaking money for us.” Paco looked at Midnight. “Pull over and let this dumb-ass piece of shit out ’fore he get us all caught up.”

Midnight waited until he found a dark alley; then, he parked.

“Cuz, are you crazy? What’re you doin’? You tryin’ to get caught?”

“Nah, man. I just don’t think this is the way forward. I’m gon’ take my own route and see where it leads me.”

“There is no other way,” Travis said. “And I believe this is more about you trying to go back to that girl than anything else.”

“Right. It’s a bad time for yo’ big ass to be thinking about some punany,” Tyler said. “There’s goin’ to be plenty of Costa Rican ass for you to bone.”

“Man, to hell with all that!” Brad shouted. “I just need to get out of here!”

“All y’all shut the hell up!” Paco yelled as he looked at Brad. “Go, you fool. I can’t afford for you to slow us down. None of you will slow us down!”

Brad didn’t wait another minute. He got out of the van, barely having time to look at his crew and give his final goodbye. They all shook their heads, thinking that Brad had made a horrible mistake by not staying with them. Then Midnight sped off.